Falling in love
by max.tmy
Summary: "I'm going to make that teme fall in love with me," Naruto declared. And that was how it all began.


**Falling in love:**

* * *

"I'm going to make that _teme _fall in love with me," Naruto declares one day,as he helps himself to ramen.

Sakura chokes on her salad.

Chouji 's jaw goes slack and everyone can see half chewed potato chips.

Shikamaru lazily looks up.

Even Kakashi sensei thinks Naruto is going too far.

"Naruto," Sakura sighs and begins, "Sasuke is **Anbu** captain now and you're a respected jounin,training to be _**Hokage**_ no less. You can't go pulling _shit_ like that."

"Besides, don't you think this rivalry thing is getting stupid now?" asks Kakashi.

Naruto looks at him as if he's spoken gibberish.

"What're you going to do when he's in love with you?" Shikamaru asks curiously.

No one is asking Naruto how he's going to make_** Uchiha Sasuke**_ fall in love with him.

Not even Sakura.

"hmm.." Naruto is unable to think of anything.

"So, what's the point?" Shikamaru asks carefully.

"Winning Nara. The point is to win. I _have_ to win," says Naruto loudly.

Sakura and Chouji go back to eating now. Kakashi dives back into his book with an amused smirk.

Shikamaru is watching Naruto carefully.

And that is how it started.

.

Two days later Sasuke drops his groceries, hiding from a group of fan girls.

Naruto picks them up, but instead of taunting Sasuke to a match as usual or hiding them, he gives them back.

He is very surprised at how little effort that took.

Sasuke is more surprised.

Shikamaru is still watching carefully. Chouji is thinking how much cotton candy he can eat in one day.

Kakashi and Sakura, however were out on a mission.

.

Almost a week goes by before Naruto even tries to speak to Sasuke.

Sasuke is very suspicious now.

.

Tsunade-baachan makes him go to the village fair,"People have to like you, Naruto. That's the difference between a good Hokage and a great one. Now go, and smile…er…and try not to scare anyone"

It is evening when Naruto leaves Shikamaru and Kiba at the fair. He didn't particularly have fun. But he did smile a lot.

On his way back, Naruto sees the teme reading in the little dango shop, all alone.

He slides into a chair in front of him and orders tea.

Sasuke doesn't even look up.

Naruto pours two cups when the tea arrives and sips calmly.

Sasuke doesn't touch his.

Naruto politely asks to go back to the fair with him.

Sasuke's knuckles turn white and he slowly raises his head to survey him, face blank, eyes wary.

"NARUTOOOO" bellows Konohamaru from across the street.

By the time he turns from his conversation with Konohamaru (trying to convince Naruto to take him on as his full time apprentice) the teme is _gone_.

Naruto finishes Sasuke's untouched cup and leaves.

.

The next morning, after the meeting, discussing possible new Chunin with the Hokage and the council, Hyuuga Hanabi asks him if he wants to go on a date.

Naruto is smug. Sasuke has been considering taking her on as his apprentice.

At seven in the evening he is at the little dango shop waiting.

After an hour and a half, Naruto realizes he's been stood up.

.

The next morning, he stands with all other jounin and Anbu waiting for the Hokage to come, he sees Hanabi laughing.

She's jumping around gracefully and trying to speak between giggles to Anbu Hawk and Hyuuga Neji.

The Anbu is looking his way now and Neji is frowning at Hanabi.

Naruto is embarrassed and spends the entire meeting brooding. Anbu Hawk is glancing at him every now and then. He quickly looks away when Shikamaru notices this.

Shikamaru smirks to himself as he realizes what Naruto has yet to realize. Neji smirks too…maybe for the same reason?

Behind his book, Kakashi is chuckling.

Naruto doesn't know why his heart is racing every time he feels a pair of familiar eyes on him.

.

Naruto visits the little dango shop regularly. The tea is good here and crowd less. He is popular now…that needed getting used to.

Few days later, he is here again, reading through profiles of foreign ninja coming in for the Chunin exam. He promised Baachan he would.

Sasuke drops himself into the chair in front of him. Naruto looks up, somehow unsurprised and pours him a cup of tea.

This time Sasuke sips it.

They talk about the upcoming exams. Sasuke glances at the profiles and points at the potential threats from his time at the Sound.

Conversation is easy and Naruto even manages to make Sasuke smile once.

That night, he sits up suddenly on his bed, **_he_ _made the teme smile._**

**_._**

Naruto decides that maybe he should call the teme _Sasuke_ after all.

The first time, he forgets.

The second time, its an Anbu mask and Naruto cannot call him by his name. _ahh well._

"Naruto…" Sasuke addresses him.

Not dobe or usuratonkachi. Not even baka.

Naruto smiles at him.

.

Naruto sits at the head table beside the Hokage, as she addresses the examiners. He folds his hands, leans back and pretends to listen.

Sasuke is out on a mission.

He's not sure why he feels so dull.

.

He walks back to his apartment and arrives to find a small heap of gifts. Little trinkets the villagers liked leaving at his door step.

He was their favorite now since defeating Pein. And wiping out a million other threats.

On top of the pile was a flask filled with tea from the little dango shop.

Suddenly he's not dull anymore.

.

It is some weeks before Naruto sees Sasuke again, being out on his own mission.

Sasuke is in the little dango shop. Alone. He is not reading.

Just sitting there alone not even reading.

Naruto panics and bolts. He stands very still outside.

Naruto blinks and Sasuke is standing in front of him. He feels his cheeks burning and scratches the back of his head.

Sasuke smirks softly and tells him that tea is getting cold.

They both go in.

.

Few days later, Naruto is in the Hokage's room, she had insisted he have his own table there to learn first hand the paperwork and patience to sit at one place for hours on the end.

He yawns. He is tired.

A team of Anbu enter. Anbu Hawk turns to him and tilts his head in acknowledgment. They leave after the reporting.

Naruto, after a moment of hesitation, grabs something and runs out after Hawk.

Once out he shoves a familiar looking flask filled with fresh tea at Anbu Hawk, blushing furiously.

Sasuke slowly removes his Hawk mask. Looks down at the flask. Then he smiles at Naruto. _**He smiles.**_

Naruto blushes even more. Kiba wolf-whistles. Shikamaru is smug because he knows something Naruto does not yet.

.

During the Chunin exams, while judging the brats, Naruto realizes that Sasuke must really like him.

This is weird. Because Sasuke doesn't like anything.

And judging by the way his heart races every time the Hawk mask looks his way… Naruto must like him too.

.

"Maybe you should ask him to go with you to the official dinner tomorrow," Shikamaru says lightly "he's not on duty."

.

The next morning, at the little dango shop, "Will you go to this dinner thing tonight? with me?" asks Naruto.

Sasuke is considering him, softly." Alright then."

Naruto falls off his chair.

.

Dinner is perfect. Sasuke is the perfect date.

Polite and flawless. Infact dignitaries were beginning to like him more _because_ of Sasuke.

Sasuke effortlessly moved the conversations into topics where he knew Naruto would shine. Like an expert political leader.

All this was done with a natural grace Naruto would never manage.

By the time dinner finishes, everybody in the room is aware that Naruto was a force to be reckoned with.

Tsunade-baachan was beaming at him.

.

They are walking back home now. A strange thing happens.

Naruto's hand is tucked in Sasuke's.

And Naruto is shaking.

Naruto is still shaking when he is kissing Sasuke. Its all good because Sasuke doesn't hit him.

Naruto feels much better when he notices Sasuke is shaking too.

.

Everything is going great now.

Except that Sasuke doesn't say, " I love you"

Instead he says, "I came back for you."

Naruto takes his hand and nods sagely, "I know." he says softly.

And somehow he did.

Naruto doesn't mind losing to Sasuke anymore.

.

* * *

_Review, my dear reader._


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